Maritime Security and Diplomacy by the Republic of Indonesia and Other ASEAN Member States in Reducing the South China Sea Conflict

Abstract

In the South China Sea conflict (SCS), Indonesia declared itself a Non-Climate State, citing the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia’s remark that China’s claims to ownership and the right to explore and exploit the SCS are illegitimate. This claim also covers Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone in Natuna. This refers to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS), which is standardized, explicit, and accepted by the majority of ASEAN countries in dispute with China in the SCS. Given that China is a state that has ratified UNCLOS 1982, it is obligated to abide by the international legal norms that it has accepted. Pacta Sunt Servanda is applicable here. In an effort to reduce China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea, which violate a number of international laws, the disputing ASEAN nations are working with Indonesia to engage in diplomatic relations with China.